Classic Poem

The king he sits in Dumfermline,
Birlin at the wine,
And callin for the best skipper
That ever sailed the faem.

Then out it spak a bonny boy,
Sat at the king's right knee;
" Earl Patrick is the best skipper
That ever sailed the sea."

The king he wrote a braed letter,
And sealed it wi his ring,
And sent it to Earl Patrick,
. . . . . . . . .

" Oh wha is this, or wha is that,
Has tald the king o me?
For I was niver a gude mariner,
And niver sailed the sea.


" Ye 'll eat and drink, my merry young men,
The red wine you amang,
For blaw it wind, or blaw it sleet,
Our ship maun sail the morn.

" Late yestreen I saw the new meen
Wi the auld meen in hir arm,"
And sichand said him Earl Patrick,
" I fear a deadly storm."

They sailed up, sae did they down,
Thro mony a stormy stream,
Till they saw the Dam o Micklengaem,
When she sank amang the faem.

They sailed up, sae did they down,
Thro many a stormy stream,
Till they saw the Duke o Normandy,
And she sank among the faem.

They sailed up, sae did they down,
Thro many a stormy stream,
Till they saw the Black Shater o Leve London,
And her topmast gaed in nine.

" Where will I get a bonny boy
That will tack my helm in hand
Till I gang up to my topmast,
And spy for some dry land?"

" Now here am I, a bonny boy
Will tack yer helm in hand
Till ye go up to your topmast
But I fear ye 'll never see land."

" Cum down, cum down, my gude master,
Ye see not what I see,
For through and through yer bonny ship
I see the raging sea."

" Ye 'll tak four-and-twenty fether-beds
And lay my bonny ship roun,
And as muckle o the fine canvas
As make her haill and soun.

" And where she wants an iron nail
O silver she 's hae three,
And where she wants a timmer-pin
We 'll rap the red goud in."


The firsten shore that they cam till,
They cad it shore the Linn;
Wi heart and hand and good command,
They towed their bonny ship in.

The nexten shore that they came till,
They caad it shore the Lee;
With heart and hand and good command,
They towed the bonny ship tee.

There was twenty ships gaed to the sea,
Twenty ships and ane,
And there was na ane came back again
But Earl Patrick alane.